Water Scarcity and Conflict in African River Basins

Water Scarcity and Conflict in African River Basins PDF Author: Mahlakeng Khosi Mahlakeng
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000847802
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
The book presents a critical and comparative analysis of the hydropolitical landscape of African transboundary river basins which, for much of the past century, have been affected by water scarcity. River and lake basins can become a source of tension and conflict due to a complicated mix of environmental, demographic, diplomatic, historical and geopolitical factors. This book, however, specifically focuses on the important, and often under looked, role played by scarcity in generating or exacerbating conflicts in shared river basins. Asserting that transboundary river basins tie states into a web of interdependence, this book raises awareness of how water scarcity, or the depletion of water resources, complicates this relationship as nations are forced to look beyond their own borders to meet the demand for water to satisfy multiple needs. Taking a comparative approach, it examines three shared basins: the Orange-Senqu, the Nile and the Niger River basins. While situated in different regions, all three basins are marked by serious environmental challenges that are detrimental to combustible hydropolitics over such shared water resources and they provide fascinating insights into the links between climate variability and change, water resources, human security, conflict, adaptation and regime capacity. Overall, this book argues that conflict over transboundary resources can be prevented given the establishment of norms, rules, and the role of external actors that help regulate state behaviour and control their impacts. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of water resource management, hydropolitics, environmental conflict, resource scarcity and international relations. It will also be of interest to policymakers involved in transboundary water resource governance.

Water Scarcity and Conflict in African River Basins

Water Scarcity and Conflict in African River Basins PDF Author: Mahlakeng Khosi Mahlakeng
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000847802
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
The book presents a critical and comparative analysis of the hydropolitical landscape of African transboundary river basins which, for much of the past century, have been affected by water scarcity. River and lake basins can become a source of tension and conflict due to a complicated mix of environmental, demographic, diplomatic, historical and geopolitical factors. This book, however, specifically focuses on the important, and often under looked, role played by scarcity in generating or exacerbating conflicts in shared river basins. Asserting that transboundary river basins tie states into a web of interdependence, this book raises awareness of how water scarcity, or the depletion of water resources, complicates this relationship as nations are forced to look beyond their own borders to meet the demand for water to satisfy multiple needs. Taking a comparative approach, it examines three shared basins: the Orange-Senqu, the Nile and the Niger River basins. While situated in different regions, all three basins are marked by serious environmental challenges that are detrimental to combustible hydropolitics over such shared water resources and they provide fascinating insights into the links between climate variability and change, water resources, human security, conflict, adaptation and regime capacity. Overall, this book argues that conflict over transboundary resources can be prevented given the establishment of norms, rules, and the role of external actors that help regulate state behaviour and control their impacts. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of water resource management, hydropolitics, environmental conflict, resource scarcity and international relations. It will also be of interest to policymakers involved in transboundary water resource governance.

Hydropolitics in the Developing World

Hydropolitics in the Developing World PDF Author: Anthony Turton
Publisher: IWMI
ISBN: 0620295198
Category : Water resources development
Languages : en
Pages : 137

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Book Description
Bringing contributions by a variety of authors together in one volume is part of an attempt to show that hydropolitics is a growing discipline in its own right. The prevailing definition of hydropolitics is widened to include the elements of scale and range. This is illustrated through a focus on theoretical and legal issues, case studies from Southern Africa and a proposed research agenda. The book is an important addition to the literature on hydropolitics.

Water Scarcity as a Cause of Conflict in the Nile, Euphrates, and Jordan River Basins

Water Scarcity as a Cause of Conflict in the Nile, Euphrates, and Jordan River Basins PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description
The Euphrates, Nile, and Jordan Rivers are at center stage in the continued existence of the peoples in their basins where water scarcity serves as a source of conflict between the region's riparian nations, within national borders, and as an underlying condition that contributes to the unrest that breeds and incubates the development of violent behavior. Decreases in water quality, population growth, and/or unequal water access cause an increase in water scarcity. That scarcity results in adverse economic effects and is a source of human migration. Ethnic conflicts, power struggles and potentially trans-border conflicts may be the final outcome. The water scarcity conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa are of concern to the EUCOM and CENTCOM commanders because this is a source of instability in the region. There is a place for the EUCOM and CENTCOM Commanders to include water issues in their theater and operational activities: both in shaping the areas and when required, in conducting operations. With each of these major rivers crossing from one Area of Responsibility to another, the EUCOM and CENTCOM commanders must ensure their actions concerning water in the region are synchronized and coordinated with each other and a common picture of the end state is both shared and worked toward.

Water, Food and Poverty in River Basins

Water, Food and Poverty in River Basins PDF Author: Myles Fisher
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135724202
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 411

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Book Description
Conventional wisdom says that the world is heading for a major water crisis. By 2050, global population will increase from 7 billion to a staggering 9.5 billion and the demands this will place on food and water systems will inevitably push river basins over the edge. The findings from this book present a different picture. While it is convenient to visualize an inevitable global water and food crisis in which increasing demands result in increasing poverty, food insecurity and conflict, the reality is far more nuanced and revolves around the politics of equitable and sustainable development of resources. The first part of this book provides detailed insight into conditions of water flows within nine river basins. In the second part, authors summarize and re-analyze the outcome of the nine basins, providing a coherent global picture of water, water productivity and development. They assess the impacts of variations of these attributes on development and approaches for poverty alleviation, and explore the institutional factors that support or obstruct change. How people will manage river systems while protecting vital ecosystem functions will make the difference between catastrophe and survival. As Prof Asit Biswas points out, "... the world is facing a water crisis not because of physical scarcity of water but because of poor management practices in nearly all countries of the world." The book is based on the four years (2006-2010) of extensive research into the state of ten of the world’s major river basins carried out under the CGIAR Challenge Program for Water and Food’s Basin Focal Project. This book was published as a special issue of Water International.

Combating Water Scarcity in Southern Africa

Combating Water Scarcity in Southern Africa PDF Author: Msangi Josephine Phillip
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400770979
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 135

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Book Description
This book offers a close examination of water scarcity as a developmental challenge facing member nations of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the interventions that have been implemented to combat the situation and the challenges still outstanding. The first chapter paints the backdrop of the water scarcity problem, reviewing historical approaches from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) to the United Nations Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development (2012), and recapping principles and agreements reached during and after these conferences. Chapter two examines the Southern Africa region’s efforts to combat water scarcity including principles, policies and strategies and the responsibility of each member to implement them. Written by the editor, J.P. Msangi, the chapter describes Namibia’s efforts to ensure management of scarce water. Beyond enacting management and pollution control regulations and raising public awareness, Namibia encourages research to ensure attainment of the requirements of both the SADC Protocol and its own water scarcity management laws. The next three chapters offer Namibia-based case studies on impacts of pollution on water treatment; on the effects of anthropogenic activities on water quality and on the effects of water transfers from dams upstream of Von Bach dam. The final chapter provides detailed summaries of the issues discussed in the book, highlighting conclusions and offering recommendations. Combating Water Scarcity in Southern Africa synthesizes issues pertinent to the SADC countries as well as to other regions, and offers research that up to now has not been conducted in Namibia.

Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities

Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities PDF Author: Bernard Calas
Publisher: African Books Collective
ISBN: 9987081347
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
The importance of watercourses to human life and development cannot be overemphasised. From communication, trade, agriculture and the location of human settlements, they have played an immeasurable role. Almost 60% of Africa lies within shared rivers and lake basins. The Nile is shared by more than seven nations, the Zambezi by six, and the Congo by nine. With populations on the rise, many countries have been labeled water scarce nations, and in fifteen years it is predicted that many people on earth will be exposed to water shortage consequences such as famine and disease. Thirteen African nations already suffer water stress and soon another twelve will join the list unless something is done to thwart the problem. On March 20, 2009 in Nairobi, Hekima College collaborated with Jesuit Hakimani Centre and the French Institute for Research in Africa (IFRA) to host the Hekima College Water Day Academic Seminar with the theme Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities. This book is the result of critical research and presentations by internationally renowned scholars, researchers and experts, and students of the Institute of Peace Studies and International RelationsHekima College. For most of 2009 Kenya suffered severe problems caused by flooding which took many lives and destroyed homes and important infrastructures. It highlighted the issues of water management and water conflicts, not only in Kenya but in other parts of East Africa, as it was made abundantly clear that not only scarcity of water, but excess water, incorrectly managed, can be disastrous. This timely, scholarly book presents discussions of the issues which underlie the major water crises in the region. They open the debate into the water problems of Kenya and East Africa in an effort to join the global campaign to find solutions to these difficulties.

Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security

Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security PDF Author: Larry W. Harrington
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317916379
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
This volume reviews the evolution of ten years’ learning and discovery about water scarcity, livelihoods, and food security within the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food. It draws on the experiences of over 100 projects conducted in ten river basins in the developing world. The book describes how the program’s design evolved from an emphasis on water scarcity, water productivity, and water access to an emphasis on using water innovations to improve livelihoods and address development challenges in specific river basins. It shows how the research was used to foster change in stakeholder behavior, linking it to improved knowledge, attitudes, and skills, which were fostered by stakeholder participation, innovation, dialogue, and negotiation. The authors describe development challenges, their drivers and their political context, how to address them through technical, institutional, and policy innovations; and the consequences of change at different scales, time frames on equity, resilience, and ecosystem services. Overall, the work represents a major synthesis and landmark publication for all concerned with water resource management and sustainable development.

Managing Water Conflict

Managing Water Conflict PDF Author: Ashok Swain
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113576882X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Countries are meeting increasing water demand by building reservoirs and by diverting water from one area to another. When the water belongs to an international river system, these measures lead to riparian conflicts. However, water scarcity not only brings conflict to these regions, but also plays its part in building cooperation. In several international river basins in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, competing and disputing riparian countries are now moving towards a co-operative sharing arrangement. The signs of agreements on water sharing may be easy, but the real problem is how to keep these arrangements on track. Such agreements can positively contribute to peace and cooperation by addressing future needs, making sustainable decisions and being progressive in their management. Managing Water Conflict looks at these current stresses and likely future scenarios for this vitally important subject.

Water Wars

Water Wars PDF Author: Hussein Solomon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Riparian rights
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description


Water

Water PDF Author: Velma I. Grover
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
This volume describes various scenarios of conflict and cooperation over water resources among stakeholders in a variety of settings. It discusses treaty making over international rivers, bilateral cooperation on river development between South Africa and Lesotho, the political economy of water supply in the Pacific Island region, the establishment of the Mekong River Commission in Southeast Asia, comparative river basin management in the United States and South Korea, and the International Joint Commission formed by Canada and the United States to resolve boundary water conflicts. The book also explores national domestic conflicts over water resources in Bangladesh and China, Cold War hydropolitics in Southern Africa, water management conflicts in the Niger River Basin of West Africa, and water as commodity and source of conflict in Australia.